Ever Changing
by DovakinWizard
Summary: Sarah is now eighteen, and is attending a local university. Amidst the chaos of college life, she finds a little red book and accidently calls upon the Goblin King. What happens when she is yet again submerged into life in the Underground?
1. A Wish

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth, and am not affiliated in any way with Jim Henson.**

Sarah sighed and collapsed on her bed. To say her first day of college was hectic, chaotic, and exhausting was an understatement. Her father and Karen had told her that college was nothing like high school, and she accepted that. However, they never told her that college was going to be pure hell. She never really like high school much, but at least she actually had time to breathe. Today had been filled with syllabuses, dull speeches, monotonous teachers, and of course her rude and unruly peers. She rolled over on her side and stared at the room she would call home for the next school year. It wasn't that bad, you know, for a dorm room. She was grateful that at least she didn't have to deal with a roommate. Sarah had truly lucked out on that front. She wasn't given all the details, but her roommate either dropped out, or transferred at the last minute. Either way, she didn't care. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, and before she knew it, her mind was being consumed by sleep.

* * *

When she woke up, she wasn't quite sure where she was. She was disoriented and a tad bit confused. It took her a few moments to wrap her mind around the idea of being in a college dorm room. When she finally realized where she was, she couldn't help but to let out a frustrated sigh. She looked at the window that occupied a large majority of the wall. The sun was beginning to set, and shadows were descending on the campus. Sarah had wanted to walk around today to get a good feel of the place, but that certainly wasn't happening now. She got up from her bed and walked over to the desk that sat on the opposite side of the small room. Her laptop rested on the desk as well as a few of her books for her classes.

She opened her laptop. She wondered if maybe she should video-call her parents. Toby would probably like to see her, even if it's just through a computer screen. She noticed the time, it was a little before eight o' clock. Toby was usually in bed by now. Especially since it was a school night for him too. Toby had turned four this year, and went to preschool on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Seeing how today was Monday, he had school tomorrow. Karen would probably a little upset if she called and woke up Toby. Sarah decided against the call. She surveyed her room to see if there was anything else she could do. That's when she noticed a few boxes that still needed to be unpacked. She picked up the first box and placed it on her bed. It was rather heavy.

She opened the flaps and was surprised to see the box was full of books. Karen must've packed up some of Sarah's books. Sarah instantly recognized the covers of the majority of the books. She pulled out an older book with faded blue binding and gold letters. The title simply stated that it was a book full of fairy tales. She opened the book and thumbed through the yellowed pages. This was the book her father would always read her stories from when she was a child. She hugged the book against her chest. She carefully placed the book on a shelf near her desk. She went through the same process with each book in the box. These books brought her comfort while she was growing up.

Sarah was glad Karen had packed them for her. She would have to thank her next time she spoke with her. In many ways, the books were sort of her friends. Sarah knew that it was totally lame, but she didn't really connect with people the same way as she connected with books. When she was reading, it was like she was transported to a different world. Her troubles or cares didn't matter. As a child, she would often spend time in the park acting out her favorite parts of books. She looked in the box and was surprised to see a little red book with gold lettering. She carefully picked up the book. She never remembered having this book before. Maybe Karen had bought it and just threw it in with the others. "The Labyrinth," she read aloud.

Her fingers glided over the cover of the book. She started opening the book when someone knocked on her door. Startled, she dropped the book. Forgetting about the book, she walked over to the door. She looked out the little port hole, but she couldn't see anyone. She unlocked the door and opened it. She looked down both ends of the hall and didn't see anyone. "How strange…" she mumbled, her voice trailing off. She could hear music coming from one of the dorms towards the opposite end of the hall. She closed the door and locked it again.

She picked up the book again and opened it. As soon as she opened the book, she could've swore she heard someone whisper her name. She turned around, but there was no one else in the room. Maybe it was the music down the hall. She turned the pages of the book slowly. As she turned each page, she got an eerie feeling that someone was watching her. She quickly shook it off, and sat down with the book on her bed. Before she knew it, she had nearly completed the book. She looked at the digital clock that rested on the stand next to her bed. The large red letters claimed that it was 10:37pm. How did it get so late?

When Sarah was reading, she often lost track of time, but she had no idea it was so late. She couldn't help but to laugh at herself. Then, she realized she had to get up early for class tomorrow. She groaned inwardly. She most certainly did not want to go and deal with another day of what she had dealt with earlier today. She marked her place in the book and placed it on the table in front of the clock. She still needed to get ready for bed, and go over a couple of the syllabuses that she neglected earlier. She glanced at the book and couldn't help but to chuckled again. "I wish the goblins would come and take me away," she joked. She got up and grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from her closet. She looked around her room and sighed, "and I wish they would come right now." She added.

"If only things were that easy." She mumbled. She turned to leave her dorm, when the window flew open. A strong gust of wind blew through the window and sent papers flying. She dropped the clothes she had in her hand and ran over to the window to put it back down. She managed to close the window, and locked it. "That's too weird." The latch worked perfectly, maybe it was just a fluke. She turned to start picking up papers when she noticed something move out of the corner of her eye. Whatever it was ran under her bed. She looked under the bed, but she didn't see anything.

She got the eerie feeling that someone was watching her again. She stood up, and looked around her dorm. She didn't see anyone. "Stop freaking yourself out Sarah." She scolded herself. She ran her slender fingers through her dark hair. College officially sucked. She didn't know if she could deal with having to live in a creepy dorm. Maybe a roommate wouldn't have been so bad. She started picking up papers again when she heard a tapping noise. She looked over to see a pair of riding boots? One of the boots were tapping rather impatiently. She looked up to see who exactly the boots belonged to. She was surprised to see that a man now occupied her dorm room along with herself.

She jumped up and dropped the papers she had in her hand. "Well, hello precious," the man purred. He took a step forward, and Sarah instinctively took a step back. "Sarah, it's been far too long." The man's eyes traveled down her body. Sarah felt like a gazelle being sized-up by a lion. "Time has treated you very well." Sarah looked around for a weapon, a pair of scissors, a knife, anything. "What's the matter, precious?" The man asked. Sarah had to admit, the man was rather attractive, but that was beside the point. He took another step forward, and Sarah stepped back. This time, she was literally backed up against the wall.

Sarah finally found her voice. "Stop!" She called. The man complied, and Sarah was a tad bit relieved. "W- who are you? What do you want?" The man smiled a rather mischievous smile. "You mean to say you don't remember me? Sarah, I'm hurt." Mock sadness filled his voice. "You really should've learned last time, silly girl." Sarah had no idea of what this man was talking about. "What do you mean?" The man took another step forward, and Sarah grabbed a pen from a cup on her desk. "I told you to stop!" She yelled. She knew she wasn't a very intimidating figure. "I… I'll poke out your eyes!" She brandished the pen as if it was a sword. The man in front of her laughed. It was a very melodic sound, and Sarah very nearly found herself gravitating towards him.

"Please, just tell me who you are." Sarah pleaded. The man's mismatched eyes met her jade-colored ones for the first time, and Sarah's heart skipped a beat. She knew it was ridiculous, but this man was making her body react much more differently than it should. Her mind saw him as a dorm room invader, and her body was reacting like he was a sex god. "Sarah, Sarah, Sarah," the man said in a condescending tone, "You have no idea who I am, and yet you called upon me." Sarah's eyes flickered to the book that rested on the table near her bed.

The man took several steps forward until he was less than a foot away from her. Sarah was partially mesmerized. She still held the pen in her hand, but she knew it would be useless. The man grabbed her wrist with his gloved hand, and took the pen away. Then, he reached around her and grabbed the book with his free hand. Sarah's breath caught in her throat. The man was so close, she could feel the heat emanating from his body. When he reached for the book, she could feel his warm breath on her neck. He let go of her wrist and it dropped to her side. He opened the book to where her marker was. "Oh, you haven't even gotten to the best part." The man stated. "Pity." With a flick of his wrist, the book disappeared.

For some reason, Sarah couldn't help but to study the man in front of her. His wispy golden hair surrounded him and made him seem ethereal. He wore a baggy poet shirt that was unbuttoned at the top to reveal just enough to get her imagination going into overdrive. Although he wore gloves, Sarah could tell he had slender fingers. She realized her breathing was getting more shallow. "What's the matter Sarah?" The man questioned. A smirk played on his features. He obviously knew what control he had over the girl. "Well, we should get going." That woke Sarah up. "If you think I'm going anywhere with you, then you're out of your mind!" She yelled. "Rules are rules Sarah, you don't have a choice and neither do I."

The man took a step back and somehow conjured a crystal ball. Sarah watched as he juggled and balanced it on his hands and fingers. Within moments she was mesmerized. All of the questions she had were forgotten. She was quickly getting sleepy. "W- what are you doing, stop it." She groggily protested. The crystal disappeared just like the book had. Sarah's knees were getting wobbly and she was losing her balanced. She tried to fight off the sleep, but the more she fought, the more it tried to claim her mind. Before she realized what was happening, she started falling to the ground. She was afraid she was going to hit the ground, but before she did she felt arms wrap around her waist. She could feel herself being hoisted up into someone's arms, then sleep consumed her for the second time.

**A/N: This is my first time publishing to this site. Any ****_constructive_**** criticism is highly appreciated!**

**Please review! **


	2. Not All It Seems

Sarah woke up with a start. She jumped out of the bed and looked around. For a second, she didn't quite know what was happening. Everything was… the same? She was still in her dorm. Everything was exactly as it was. "That couldn't have been a dream, it felt so real." Sarah said to herself. She looked around, scrutinizing everything. She sighed and sat back down on her bed. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and ran her fingers through her hair. That dream, or whatever it was, had been so vivid. She could've sworn it was real. She racked her brain trying to remember the details. She remembered the little red book, and then the man, but what happened after that? The more she concentrated, the more her thoughts started to disperse. Her mind was grasping at the little details that were left, but it was no use.

She let out a frustrated sigh and stood up rather abruptly. She needed to get out of this room, she needed to go somewhere, anywhere really. The girl walked towards the door that led out to the hall. She reached out to open the door, but something stopped her. There wasn't an overwhelming force stopping her from opening the door, but she did get a strange feeling. She spun around to make sure there was no one else in the room with her. She was very relieved to see that there was no one there. She reached for the door again, and the same uneasy feeling greeted her. She shook it off and opened the door. At first, everything looked the same, but then everything flickered. Sarah thought it was just her mind playing tricks on her, but then it did it again. Everything around her flickered like a television would during a storm.

Sarah ran out into the hall, and her dorm room literally disappeared. She didn't know what to do. She was a tad bit intrigued by what was going on, but at the same time she was scared. What the hell was happening? Merely seconds after the dorm room flickered away, the hallway did too. Now Sarah was left in the middle of a completely different hall. The walls were carved from stone, and sconces lined the walls. The sconces held what looked to be stones. The stones were glowing blue, casting the hall in an odd blue light. There were tapestries that lined the walls about every ten feet or so. The one Sarah currently stood in front of depicted a unicorn wearing armor like horses would during the time of cavalries.

Sarah was confused. Where was she? She looked down both ends of the hall. Either way she went, the hall seemed to stretch on forever. She decided that she would go left. As she walked, she studied each of the tapestries. Each of them portrayed some strange creature or a variation of what she assumed to be a crest. She kept seeing the same symbol over and over again. It was sort of an upside down arrow with a gold circle in the middle. As she studied a particular tapestry, she noticed something moving. She focused on whatever it was and started towards it. When the thing noticed her, it started running. Whatever it was short, probably the stature of a toddler. She ran after it. "Hey, wait!" She called. The thing stopped for a moment, but then it took off running again. Sarah ran after the creature, but somehow she lost track of it.

That was when she saw the same unicorn tapestry she had seen at first. She looked at each of the tapestries as she walked by. They were all the same ones she had passed earlier! How was this happening? There was no way she had gone in a circle or had gotten turned around somehow. She was quickly losing hope of getting out of wherever she was. She wanted to scream or sit down and cry. She started walking down the hall again, but this time she noticed a door down the hall. The door was situated between two very distinct tapestries. Sarah most certainly did not recognize the door. At least she would think she would remember seeing a door. She approached the door cautiously. For all she knew, there could be a rabid monster waiting behind it.

She reached for the latch, and pushed the door open slowly. She was surprised to find what seemed to be a study behind the door. There were shelves that reached nearly to the ceiling, and rows upon rows of books. There also seemed to be several scrolls as well. There was a large wooded desk that occupied the left side of the room. On the right side of the room, there was a large fire place. Green fire flickered in the place. There were several very ornate chairs and a chaise lounge arranged around the fire place as well. Large floor to ceiling windows took up the front side of the room. Sarah turned, and realized that the door had disappeared. She walked over to the windows and looked outside. Sarah's breath caught in her throat again. The view was absolutely beautiful. She could see a village sprawled out below. Just outside the village, there seemed to be a large maze. "The Labyrinth," Sarah said out loud, although she didn't know why.

Right outside the labyrinth, there were mountains and forests. There also looked like there was a river in the distance, and maybe a lake. "Welcome back Sarah," a melodious voice called from behind her. She turned to see the same man from before. He was lounging in the chaise that sat near the fireplace. Instinctively, Sarah backed against the windows. "What have you done?" Sarah questioned. The man stood up lazily from the lounge and sauntered over to her until he was only a few feet away from her. "That's not the right question Sarah." The man stated. "What do you mean?" She asked again. The man in front of her just laughed. "Please, I don't know what's going on." Sarah pleaded. At that moment, a softness touched the man's eyes. "You really don't, do you?" The man questioned, almost to himself. Sarah shook her head.

"Sarah, do you know who I am?" Sarah was about to say no when a picture flashed in the back of her mind. She was watching Toby and the same man was there, in her parents' room. "You're the Goblin King, aren't you?" The man smirked. "I am known by many as the Goblin King, yes." Sarah looked to the window again. "I've been here before?" Sarah shook her head. She tried to remember. She could feel that she had been here before, but much like a dream, her memories were eluding her. The Goblin King walked over to where the girl stood. Sarah couldn't help but to tense up. He stood inches away from her, looking out the window. "Please," Sarah begged, "I just want to go home."

When Sarah said that, she could feel the man tense. "I am quickly tiring of your games girl!" Sarah jumped at the tone of his voice. He seemed angry, but Sarah hadn't done anything to anger him. Had she? Sarah didn't dare move. She was alone somewhere with a strange man. She doubted anyone would help her. "I- I don't understand…" Sarah's voice trailed off. She was on the verge of tears. Seeing this, the king let out a sigh. He led her over to the fireplace and motioned for her to sit. Sarah complied. "If you realize it or not, your words have power Sarah." Sarah looked up at the man. He was seated in the chaise again. "But-" she began. The man glared at her, and Sarah lost her voice. "Do not interrupt me again, Sarah." The man motioned around him. "I brought you here because you asked me to, the same as before. Yet I see you're ever ungrateful."

Sarah wanted to tell the man that she had never asked to come here, but decided against it when he gave her a warning glare. "Everything you've ever asked of me, I have done. It is clear you do not remember your first episode here, so let me make some things clear." He paused, gathering his words. "What's said is said. You wished to be here, so you're here. It's rather simple really." Sarah had so many questions. She wanted, no needed, answers. "I cannot take you back. It is not within my power, so do not even consider asking. Other than that, do you have any questions?" Sarah immediately seized her opportunity to talk. "You said I have been here before, and I think I remember it… but I just can't imagine it." Sarah stopped, and looked at the man. She had expected him to answer, but he wasn't. "Well?" Sarah asked. "Was that a question Sarah? Because that sounded more like a statement." Sarah was starting to get flustered, and the man was obviously enjoying it. "I haven't a clue as to why you don't remember being here. It is a bit curious. It probably has something to do with you being the first champion since my reign of the kingdom." Sarah was a bit surprised. She was a champion? A champion of what? Instead of asking about that, she chose perhaps one of the most trivial questions.

"How long have you reigned?" The man chuckled at the girl's question. "Time is nearly irrelevant here, but I've been in power here far longer than you could comprehend." Sarah crossed her arms. That was clearly an insult. "Well, you don't look that old." The man was clearly amused by her. "Not all is as it seems here in the Underground." Sarah stood up, and turned away from the man. She was becoming more and more confused each time he answered her questions. As she stood up, her stomach rumbled. She couldn't remember the last time she ate, perhaps at breakfast this morning? She didn't realize how hungry she was. The man raised his eyebrow a the noise. "I apologize Sarah. Come, I'll have the kitchen staff prepare dinner." With that, the man stood up and walked towards where the door she had previously entered through once was. Without stopping, he walked towards the spot and _through_ the wall. At first, Sarah was baffled. How was that even possible? Then she remembered what the king had said. Not all is as it seems.

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I highly appreciate them. I am new to this sight, so I don't have a beta (or whatever they're called). While I do reread the chapters prior to posting them, I realize I often miss some things. I apologize in advance for any mistakes!**


	3. Ever Changing

Sarah braced herself and nearly ran through the same spot the king had gone through. She didn't expect to make it, so she squeezed her eyes closed and expected the worse. She was mildly surprised when she ended up on the other side of the wall. This time, the hall was filled with tons of doors in between each of the tapestries. The king was leaning against the wall. Overall he seemed very nonchalant, but there was something else about him. He left his position against the wall and started walking down the hall. Sarah reluctantly followed him. For a while, they walked in silence. It wasn't necessarily an awkward silence, but it most certainly was not a welcomed one.

Sarah had so many emotions going through her head. The majority of them conflicted with each other. She didn't want to have to think of them. "So," she started, "I've been here before." She expected some sort of a snarky remark, but instead she was greeted with an intense gaze. "Yes, Sarah, what of it?" Sarah really didn't know what she getting at. "Well," She trailed off. "Can you tell me about it? It may help me remember." The king nodded. "I suppose so, but may we do it over dinner? I realize you must be famished." Without waiting for an answer, the king started walking again. Sarah followed close behind. She was relieved when they reached a very ornate dining hall. Sarah had expected something much smaller, after all it was just the two of them and this place seemed like it could hold hundreds of people.

At the far end of a rather long wooden table, there were two plates set. The place at the head of the table, and the one directly to the right. The king pulled out the chair to the right and motioned for Sarah to sit down. He then found his own seat and sat down. The room they were in was absolutely beautiful. It was decorated in rich colors like gold and burgundy. The table they were seated at was a work of art in itself. "Well?" Sarah questioned after the king was seated. "Sarah, please, calm yourself." He rang a tiny silver bell and servers came out with trays of food. They placed them on the table and left, without so much as a 'hello'. After they were gone, the king magically filled their goblets up with what looked to be wine. Sarah was going to protest the drink, but she thought better of it. She didn't want to end up drinking something foul.

Moments passed and neither Sarah or the king moved towards the food. "I thought you were hungry," the king said. Sarah nodded. "Well, eat." He commanded. Sarah complied and reached for the food. For the most part, it seemed relatively normal. She ate faster than she had meant to. All the while, the king just watched her. Sarah found it a bit unnerving, but she was hungry so she didn't care. Eventually, she pushed away the food. "Okay," she said. "I've eaten, now will you tell me what happened?" The king smiled. "Sarah, do you know who I am?" Sarah nodded. "We've already established this. You're the Goblin King." Sarah said as if it was the dumbest question in the world. "Everyone knows that." He said plainly. "What is my name?" Without even thinking, Sarah replied. "Well, its Jareth, isn't it?"

The king shuddered inwardly when she said his name. He loved the way it sounded on her lips. "Yes, but how did you know that?" Sarah was confused. How did she know that? It was just like when she looked at the Labyrinth from the study. How did she know it was called that? "You see Sarah, the Labyrinth must have put a block on your memories. After you so blatantly refused me, you returned to the Aboveground." The more he talked, the less Sarah understood. "So, the Labyrinth erased my memories?" Jareth shook his head. "No, it doesn't have that power. It merely placed a wall around them, I believe. The more you try to remember, the stronger the wall gets it seems." Suddenly, it made sense. It was like trying to remember a dream after you woke up. The more you tried to remember it, the less you actually remembered.

"But, everything seems different." Sarah started. "I mean, I don't know for sure, but I think things are different here." Jareth flicked his wrist, and everything on the table disappeared save for their glasses. He picked his up and sipped the wine. "Sarah, the Labyrinth is ever changing. It is not same as it was when you defeated it. If that was the case, people would quickly memorize the route. What good would it be then?" Sarah supposed he had a point. Sarah wanted to say something, but she didn't want to offend the king. She most certainly did not want to incur the wrath of the king. "I, uh, I mean you seem different too. I don't remember exactly, but you seem more… not bad I guess." His melodious laugh filled the dining hall.

"Sarah, I was never the evil one." He stated. "You just saw me as such all those years ago. Things are never quite as one-sided as that." Sarah felt stupid. Before she knew what she was doing, she got up from the chair and started out of the dining hall. She needed to be alone. She needed to think. She was relieved when she didn't hear footsteps following her, she hoped he had got the point. She wandered aimlessly through the halls. Every now and then, she would stop and change her direction. After what seemed like hours, she stopped. She was tired and overwhelmed. She sunk to the floor, and although she tried not to, she started to cry.

She looked up when she heard someone walking towards her. Jareth stood in front of her. He extended his hand and helped the girl up from the floor. "I'm sorry, it's just…" She started furiously wiping away the tears. Jareth gently grabbed her wrists and placed them at her sides. He was so close. Sarah's body broke out into gooseflesh and shivers traveled down her spine. Her jade colored eyes met his beautifully mismatched ones. He brought his gloved hand up to cup her face. He brushed his thumb across her cheek, wiping away a stray tear. Sarah didn't know why, but she found herself sinking into his embrace. His arms snaked around her waist, and he hugged her close to him. Sarah took in his scent. He smelled absolutely wonderful. It was musky, but there was something else. Almost like sandalwood. One of his hands soothingly rubbed her back, while the other combed through her hair. Eventually her sobs subsided. She took a step back, and Jareth reluctantly let her go.

"Thank you," she said, her voice cracking. Jareth smiled, but it didn't quite touch his eyes. That was when the girl realized that he wasn't just comforting her, that he was also seeking comfort. Before she could comprehend what she was about to do, she reached her arms around the man's neck and sought out his lips.


End file.
